NHHA Press Releases

North Charlestown Community School Wins HEAL Award

The Rural Sullivan County School is 2012 'ED'ie Award Recipient

Shawn LaFrance, executive director of the Foundation for Healthy Communities (back row, center) was on hand to present the 2012 HEAL Ed'ie Award to students and staff at the North Charlestown Community School.

Press Release

CONCORD – The North Charlestown Community School in Charlestown has been selected as the recipient of the 2012 Annual Healthy Eating Active Living NH 'ED'ie Award.

As part of the HEAL 'Ed'ie Award, North Charlestown Community School received $500 to support its work promoting healthy eating and active living. The school will also be recognized during the New Hampshire Excellence in Education Awards Program – also known as the "ED'ies" – on June 2 at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester.

The school, with an enrollment of 71 children in grades 1-5, was cited for demonstrating that healthy students are better learners, according to HEAL NH Director Terry Johnson.

"The school is successful because it has engaged students, staff, parents and the entire community in its efforts to provide healthier choices in a school that is located in a rather remote rural area and has 49 percent of its students enrolled in the National School Lunch Program," he added.

Schools from throughout the state – from kindergarten through 12th grade – were considered for the 'ED'ie Award, which is based on criteria that promotes healthy eating and active living environments for students and staff. Healthy eating criteria include strong nutritional standards for all foods and beverages sold or provided throughout the school day. Active living criteria include requirements for quality physical education and opportunities for physical activity such as a "Safe Routes to School Program."

School officials credit the healthy environment for increases in student math and reading scores between 2009 and 2011. The New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) math scores for third graders increased from 60 to 100 percent by the time they reached fifth grade. Meanwhile, scores for reading increased from 60 to 80 percent in the same time span.

North Charlestown Community School principal Paula Southard-Stevens credited the commitment of staff members like guidance counselor Stephanie Hazlett, who provides a progressive nutrition education curriculum as part of her weekly guidance classes, and fifth-grade teacher Heidi Westover, a U.S. Olympic marathon hopeful who has implemented a daily morning walking program at the school.

About HEAL NH: The Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) NH campaign began in 2008 and is led by the Foundation for Healthy Communities, a non-profit New Hampshire organization focused on improving health and health care through innovative partnerships. HEAL is supported by a collaboration of foundations and state agencies committed to promoting health and wellbeing for all New Hampshire residents. Funding is provided by HNHfoundation, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, Endowment for Health, NH Charitable Foundation, NH Department of Health and Human Services, and Convergence Partnership Fund of Tides Foundation. More information about the HEAL NH Campaign can be found at www.healnh.org.